Races

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The Virtual Great Pumpkin Challenge

me starting my virtual race

I got up, took my blood pressure and it was perfect so I decided I would run yesterday’s race – at least the 5k.  Unfortunately it was raining. Anyway, my hubby said that I was nuts and he wasn’t gonna pick me up off the pavment.

When it did stop in the afternoon, my hubby left to play tennis & I set out on my virtual race (wearing the race shirt)  & to the drug store to pick up 2 prescriptions.

I guessed that to the pharmacy & back would be a 10k. Actually it was 3.5 miles so I ended up doing 7 miles.

Stats:

lst 5k – 31:20
2nd 5k – 34:55
10K – 1:06:15
7 miles – 1:15:56

As you can tell, I ran the first 5k and walked a lot during the 2nd.  I didn’t stop the clock waiting for lights to cross streets but did stop for 10 minutes in CVS (and stopped the clock).

Still sad that I missed the opportunity to run a 10k…I probably shouldn’t have waited so long since the running season is limited from now til next spring.

Happy Running! Hope everyone had a good racing weekend!

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Great Pumpkin Challenge 10K Race That Wasn’t

  

This was supposed to be my first 10k!!!!!!!!!!!

I signed up months ago so I would be motivated to train for it… However, 5k races & boating got in the way so I did what I could. 

I was tempted to switch to the 5k but my friend Mary after she finished her half marathon said she would sign up and would pace me.  I still wasn’t convinced but then 3 of the women in the beginning runners group (they did their 1st 5k in June) signed up.

I was too embarrassed to back out. 

I wasn’t afraid that I couldn’t do it since I ran my first 5k after only running 1 mile without stopping. I was nervous that I would push myself and get injured –that  bump knee & those old age aches & pains.

Well, everyone said I could do it and my friend Mary promised to drag me through it.

It was COLD in the 30’s. I couldn’t decide what to wear but I opted for shorts and long sleeves. I would wear sweats until the race began. My hubby had picked up my race packet yesterday so I didn’t have to arrive too early.

This is where the bad part starts. 

People had been dropping like flies at the office but not me, I said!! I have my first 10k.  I started feeling lousy Thurs eve.  Sore throat.  All day Friday, I had a headache.  I didn’t sleep much Fri eve and I felt worse.  When I got up on Sat, I actually felt a little better and was very excited to get to the race.

My friend Mary called and we agreed to meet.  I parked my car and waited through 3 shuttles to get to the start which was about a mile away. When I got there I immediately bumped into 2 friends from the running group.

All of a sudden, I got this really intense HEADACHE! I mean I couldn’t move.  I wanted to start the race but I couldn’t. I called my hubby & cried on the phone to come get me.  The shuttle driver was nice enough to take me back to my car.

Depressed about the race, I rested on the couch for the rest of the day & felt a little better but then the pain started to come back so my hubby took me to the doctor.  He gave me a shot & the pain went away but the doc was very concerned that my blood pressure was high and ordered me to the ER. 

My blood pressure got even higher there  -197/109.  They did all kinds of tests – blood work, EKG, Cat Scan and ALL WERE NEGATIVE!!! They gave me something to lower my blood pressure and sent me home (at 3am).

Today I took my blood pressure and it’s 120/80.  I can’t wait to run again.

Yesterday I was so DISAPPOINTED about the race!  Today I’m just happy to be healthy…There will be other races!!

Happy Running!

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3 Things Thursday

  1. I definitely prefer running outdoors to running on the treadmill. Unless it rains I’m going to try to run in my neighborhood.  The past 2 mornings, I searched out my capris, gloves & fleece vest and ran 3 miles. On the treadmill, it took me 40 minutes to run 3 torturous miles.  Outside in the chilly air, it took 29 minutes.  Unfortunately it doesn’t get light early enough to do more.  So I’ll reserve my longer runs for the weekend or after work (if I ever am free.)
  2. Yes, I said longer runs.  Saturday is my 1st 10K…if it goes well, who knows???
  3. Tomorrow I will carb load and try not to think about if I will crash & burn running more than 3 miles.  I’M NERVOUS!!!!!!

    4. 

Happy Running and good luck to any weekend racers!

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Monday Goals

Recap of  last week:
My weekly goal was 16 miles. I did 14.5.
NO RACES!

This week’s schedule:
Tues – tennis after work
Wed – mentors mtg after work
Thurs – movie after work
Fri – mah jongg after work
Sat – eve. halloween party
Sun – Lake George am.

This week’s running:
Mon– 4 miles after work
Wed- 3 miles before work 
Thurs –  4 miles before work
Sat – 10 K race

Weekly Running Goal = 17 miles
October Monthly Running Goal = 60 miles
Yearly Running Goal = 300 miles ( I passed it – can I make 500?)

Happy Running!

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3 Things Thursday

  1. My friend Mary who ran a half marathon last weekend is going to pace me through a 10K on Oct 23. Now I have to do it..

    2. Mary after the 1/2

  2.  So since I played tennis Mon & Tues evenings and couldn’t run, I dragged myself out last night.  I planned to run 5 miles. I did it with several walk breaks and it took me an hour.  I never can do it without walking even at 3miles except when I ‘m in a race.  The last 1/2 mile was the best.  I ran it at a  really fast pace because it was so dark. 9 days left to get ready mentally & physically!!
  3. I haven’t even run a 10k and I’m already thinking half marathon.  I think it’s because so many bloggers are running half & full marathons this fall and it seems so exciting.  Local runners also just ran the Hudson-Mohawk Half & Full.  The half I’m thinking about is in Naples Florida on Jan 16.  That’s my annivesary and it will depend on my hubby accompanying me.  I will postpone my decision till after the 10K.  Stay tuned!!

Naples Half 1-16-11

Happy Running!

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UAlbany Homecoming/Fall Festival 5k

This race was a first for me.  I had originally planned & registered for the Falling Leaves 5k in Ballston Spa (where I won my age group last year).  But my 2 friends wanted to go to the UAlbany reunion activities so this fit better into the day.

I play tennis here all summer but I’ve never run here.  I did hear that Perimeter Rd is quite hilly but I hoped this course would be flat.

It turned out to be a perfect running day – sunshine and cool temps.  In fact, it was chilly when I arrived.

There was a pretty small crowd – about 120  – mostly college students with a few ARE runners mixed in.  I decided to run without my jacket because I knew I would be warm and I was right.

I was wrong about it being flat. In fact, the course consisted of one hill after another.  It never ended. Part of it was a trail run along the pond.  It was pretty but exhausting.

There were no mile markers so I may have run the first 2 miles too fast but by the last hill, I had to walk.  This of course, wrecked my time & I finished at 30:28.

This was not a PR but not bad for this HILLY course.  They gave out awards for the 1st place in each age group and I was 2nd.  I think you got a cookie & a dog bone on a string (Great Dane is the school mascot). No great loss there!

My college friends did not arrive  for a while so I waited and relaxed.

The rest of the day was spent reminiscing and chatting.  We toured the campus and took some pics.

check out the rainbow

Eventually, I went home to change and met everyone at a restaurant for dinner before we headed back to campus to listen to Barbara Walters.

Barbara Walters was very interesting!!! Afterwards, we headed to Starbucks to continue the evening…

Happy Running!  Hope you had a good day!

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3 Things Thursday

  1. I’m going to see the movie The Social Network tonite.  I’m pretty excited …being I’m so into Facebook & blogging.
  2. It has been raining all week.  I have been forced to do the treadmill thing –  4 miles on Monday & 4 on Wed. I hate it but I better get used to it since it is getting too cold & dark to run before or after work.  (At the moment, it is nice out but I gotta get going to meet my friend…)
  3. Next 5K race is Saturday…it’s a small one…only 100 runners.  It’s at UAlbany where I went to college.  It’s part of Homecoming/Reunion weekend. Goals unknown…don’t know the course or the weather… I will just try to have fun!!! (Who am I kidding?  A PR would be nice!)

Happy Running!

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Monday Goals

Recap of  last week:
My weekly goal was 15 miles. I did 10.
I ran a 5K race. (in 29:10 – YAY!!)

This week’s schedule:
Tues – tennis after work
Thurs – tennis before work, movie after work
Fri – mah jongg after work
Sat/Sunday – college reunion weekend

This week’s running:
Mon –5 miles before work
Thurs- 4 miles after work
Sat – 5K Race
Sun – 5  miles

Weekly Running Goal = 17 miles
October Monthly Running Goal = 60 miles
Yearly Running Goal = 300 miles ( I passed it – can I make 500?)

Yesterday was the 2nd day of our annual weekend of Mah Jongg at Schroon River. I decided to go up for just the 2nd day.  The weather was gorgeous and I should have run before I left but I didn’t.  When I arrived, my friend, Bev, was returning from a run.  I was so jealous!!!

We spent the rest of the day playing mah jongg, eating, hiking, play mah jongg…so much fun!

I got home late..too dark for a run.   Tonite, hopefully…

 The weather this week doens’t look good..is the treadmill in my future??

Happy Running!

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Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

This is my third time running this race.  Again this year, I chose to race on a team with Albany Law School (where I work).  There were about 19 of us (mostly students). We even had our own moisture wicking shirt.

I also planned to meet some friends here.

This is such an emotional race.  I have so many friends who have survived a bout with breast cancer.  This is why I choose to do this race each year. This is the sign I pinned to my back:

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect.  Sunny and cool – in the 50’s.  I was cold when I arrived.  My hubby came to the race and I made him take a pic before I met my group. (He hates taking photos.)


 I then found some of the runners from the law school and tried to get a photo before starting the race.

Then I bumped into a tennis friend (the one who started me running) and her niece (a former student of mine).  We started the race together.

I tried to get them to start near the front.  But while we were talking a hundred or so runners ended up in front of us.

The race began and it was crowded.  It took a while to get going and I tried to cut through the crowd and run up the BIG hill.

The race continued through the streets of Albany and then around Washington Park…I always think that’s flat but it’s not. 

I tried to pace myself.  My first mile was about 9:55, my 2nd around 19:35 and then I got a little tired during the 3rd mile.   I heard an OLD guy breathing really LOUD and tried to pace myself with him…breathe out when he did but I couldn’t keep up (I later found out that he was 76!!!!).  Then I spotted a law student & ran with her for awhile but she’s 22 and ahead she went.  Finally I spotted the finish line and ran as fast as I could when I saw that I would finish under 30 minutes.

The gun time was 29:31 but my chip time was 29:10!! I’ll take it.  Finally under 30 minutes for a 5k!  Not a PR but my 2nd best.

Race Stats:
Gun time – 29:31
825/2147
7/63 (55-59 age group)
Chip time: 29:10
Pace – 9:24

After the race, I bumped into 2 runners (Cindy P & Kritstin K)  from dailymile.com and Brigid, a runner from the begining running group. I finally found my hubby who was supposed to see me finish & take pic but of course, he was still watching and waiting when I arrived…

We then went home &  I left to watch my friends play in the Super Seniors tennis championship.  Then I visited with my mentee, went shopping & out to dinner.  A full day!!

Happy Running.  Hope you all had a good day!

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Rain Rain Go Away

I know this is an old wives tale, but it works for me.

It’s been raining for 2 days. I do not RUN IN THE RAIN!!

 Luckily I did run Tues evening.  It was an awful run…too humid, too tired, too hungry. After 2 miles I could barely move but managed to run/walk 2 more miles.

I ran again Wed evening and felt so much better.  I did 3 miles. 

Now I keep my fingers crossed that the rain will stop.  Tomorrow is the Susan G. Komen Race for Cure. I am running on a team with students & staff  at the law school where I work.  I think there are 19 of us.  We have a team tee shirt – moisture wicking one too!!

I will be running for: Judy, Mary Ann, Maria, Ava, Sally, Phyllis –my friends who have survived breast cancer  and for Dottie —who did not!

What is my goal for this race?

It’s going to be very crowded – probably at least 3,000 racers. It starts up hill and it’s slow going until the park.  So, it’s not a race for a PR.

My 2008 time was 32:49, my 2009 time was 31:15.  Those were both gun times not chip times.  My chip time this year for the Freihofers (same course) was 30:39. My goal, I guess, is under 30:39!

Happy Running! Have a nice weekend and good luck to all those racing!